Chapter 249

The next day at rehearsal, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of Julian, Nick, and Bridget, watching their interactions. I tried to see them in a new way, now with some more of their past acting like a lens.

If Bridget had kissed Julian all night after his love confession, only to break up with him the next morning to be with Nicholas, surely some of those lingering feelings would remain and shine through in their actions with each other.

So far, what I was seeing was what I had been seeing since the start.

Across the room, Bridget showed Nicholas something in the script. She leaned very far into him, making certain that her chest touched his arm. Nicholas didn’t seem to notice. He pointed at the script where Bridget must have been referring to.

I wished I was closer, to hear the words, but I wasn’t sure how to move over there with any kind of subtly. Veronica and Tiffany were standing beside me as part of our own little group. People would notice if I suddenly broke off to go stand on my own.

Instead, I continued to keep watch.

Julian was on the other side of Bridget. Though he wasn’t a part of the conversation between Bridget and Nicholas, he clearly wanted to be, as he followed along in his own script.

Once, he tried nudging Bridget, to get her to pay attention to him, as if to ask her a question. She held up a finger, asking him to give her a minute, and then otherwise ignored him.

For the life of me, I couldn’t understand why Julian continued to hold onto her. She clearly wasn’t interested. Was this simply a case of Julian needing to learn how to take no for an answer, no matter how abrupt? I was starting to suspect.

But then I saw it.

Bridget placed her hand on Julian’s arm and squeezed. While she was talking to Nicholas, she turned to Julian and winked.

It was subtle, barely-there flirting, but now that I was looking for it, I could see it plain as day.

While Nicholas received most of Bridget’s attention, Julian was not ignored. It almost seemed like Julian was her little secret.

Or like she was doing just enough to keep him on the hook while she primarily pursued Nicholas.

Maybe I was looking too hard. Maybe it was innocent. But it sure as heck seemed like she was stringing Julian along. I wondered if that was how it had been in the past too.

Watching it happen, seeing the hope in Julian’s eyes, made something uncomfortable churn in my gut. I also hated how openly Bridget was flirting with Nicholas, laughing at whatever he said and looking up at him through her eyelashes.

“Piper?” Tiffany said, dragging my attention away.

“Hm?”

“They’re calling you on stage,” Tiffany said.

“Oh!”

I hurried toward the stage. Admittedly, I hadn’t been paying attention at all, so I had no idea even what scene we were supposed to be doing. I still hadn’t even finished reading the script. When I thought I had only one line, I didn’t bother. Now that I was doing Susie’s part, I really need to go back. I just hadn’t yet.

As I took the stairs to reach the stage, I was surprised to find Nicholas right behind me. Were we doing a scene together?

My stomach sank. My new part was that of Nicholas’s spurned lover. Any scene we shared together was unlikely to be a pleasant one.

As we stepped onto the stage, Nicholas touched the small of my back, guiding me toward the center where we would perform. I looked at him.

“Which scene is this?” I whispered.

He gave me a small, fond smile. “Scene 14.”

Nodding, I flipped open the script to the correct scene.

“Get in your places, please,” Nathan called from the bottom of the stage. Bridget hurried to take point beside him. “Are you two ready?”

“Ready,” Nicholas said. He had his script out too.

“Ready,” I echoed. My heart hammered in my chest as I skimmed the first line. This was going to be even worse than I thought.

“Begin!” Nathan called.

I braced myself. Nicholas was set to start off the scene.

His eyes were locked on the script. He didn’t speak right away.

“I said, begin!” Nathan said again.

Nicholas cleared his throat. When he looked up at me, his eyes were hard. “We have to end things between us,” he said.

God, I knew he was acting but the words still speared through me. He was just reading the script, but my heart crumbled up in my chest. It was too real. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t.

I had to.

“Why?” I asked. It was my line but it was also the question in my heart.

He swallowed hard. “There’s someone else.”

“Who?” I read.

“It doesn’t matter who.”

“I think it does.” I paused, tried to collect myself. Just keep reading. The sooner this was over, the sooner I could pretend this never happened. “…I love you.”

Nicholas hesitated again. “Well, I don’t love you.”

He’s acting, I reminded myself, again and again. But I couldn’t help thinking that this was eerily close to how the end of our whatever-we-are might end. By nature of the contest, Nicholas would have to marry someone. We already knew it wouldn’t be me.

He could so easily tell me there’s someone else. I almost had to expect it.

And telling him I love him for him not to feel it back was one of my deepest fears. We hadn’t put a name on what we are to each other right now, nor have we fully admitted the extent of our feelings for one another. It felt… safer that way.

Now I realized I was simply being a coward.

Hearing I don’t love you was shattering my heart like it was made of glass.

It was not shocking then, as the tears began to fall.

Nicholas, alarmed, started forward, but I held up my hand. I didn’t want comfort here. How could I ever accept it? We were on stage with the whole of the competition watching, and Nathan. If he gave me a hint of special treatment, everyone one would.

We had to finish the scene.

“Why would you hurt me like this?” I asked, reading the lines.

Nicholas frowned at me. There was worry in his golden eyes. The flecks of green sparkled under the stage lights.

“I love her,” he said. The words came out flat. He didn’t sound like he meant them. Still, they sliced through me as surely as if they had been real.

More tears fell. “I never want to see either of you again!” I shouted. That was my cue to leave, thank God. I swiveled on my heels and walked straight to the stairs. I hurried down them, ready to make my escape.

Unfortunately, Bridget was waiting for me at the bottom.

“Bravo! Piper!” Bridget clapped her hands. “What an amazing performance! Why, this is the part for you, after all. I’m sorry to have doubted.” Her smile was big and friendly, but I was battle-wounded and just wanted to heal.

“Thanks,” I grumbled.

“Those tears,” Bridget said, leaning closer. “They look so real.”

I didn’t want her to know that they were, but I was having a hard enough time trying to keep myself together.

“Excuse me,” I managed to say, and pushed my way past her.

I was halfway to the exit, when I heard Nicholas behind me.

“Piper, wait!”